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The differences between program coordinators and program assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a program coordinator and a program assistant. Additionally, a program coordinator has an average salary of $45,068, which is higher than the $35,193 average annual salary of a program assistant.
The top three skills for a program coordinator include customer service, patients and social work. The most important skills for a program assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Program Coordinator | Program Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $45,068 | $35,193 |
| Hourly rate | $21.67 | $16.92 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 102,464 | 96,901 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Program coordinators are mid-level employees who are assigned to work on a program of a specific department. They handle the communications between their department and any other department that they may need to collaborate with. They coordinate action plans and activities to ensure that the departments are aligned. They are present during the planning stage for the program so that they will be familiar with action items. They are directly involved in the implementation by liaising with the involved departments. Program coordinators should have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organization skills.
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
Program coordinators and program assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Coordinator | Program Assistant | |
| Average salary | $45,068 | $35,193 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Aspen Institute |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a program coordinator and a program assistant in terms of educational background:
| Program Coordinator | Program Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program coordinators' and program assistants' demographics:
| Program Coordinator | Program Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |